A Pair of Flags

 I was looking across the river at the flags flying over there.  There is a mirror image on the US side.

It was breezy enough and it felt good today because it was a little on the muggy side.  It took a few attempts to get a decent shot of the Maple Leaf.

This was probably my best shot of the US flag though.

A Windy Day on the Detroit River

 They opened the Soo Locks and 12:01A.M. this morning.  The lakes are starting to come to life.  I missed a bunch of ships that were heading up in the past couple of days but I saw one that I didn't want to miss.

I was pretty sure that she was going to stop for fuel, so I headed to Belanger Park to catch her.  It was warm per the thermometer but the strong winds made for a different story.

A Pair of Flags

 While I was taking pictures of the second ship, I saw these and I liked the look in the wind.

The light was just right on the American flag.  The wind was just about perfect.

Same with the Michigan flag.

Happy Belated Fourth of July

So I went down to Detroit on the Fourth of July.  I was hoping to catch a ship but it was pretty hot that day and I didn't really feel like doing much.

 I ended up heading down to Riverside Park because I waited a little longer to catch the ship.  This is the flag of the Westcott building.  I was planning on doing this post sooner.

Another flag for the Fourth of July.  They grayish building is the top of the former Comerica Tower.  The orangish building is the Guardian Building.  At one time, it was called the Cathedral of Finance.

The Jones Act and Bailouts

I hate to delve into politics on this page but sometimes the situation warrants it.  Unfortunately, it is looking like one of those situations.  As you may know, the Senate passed a two trillion dollar bailout yesterday by a 96-0 vote.  I think one of the reasons that it wasn't 100-0 was because 4 of the Senators were either sick or quarantined.  I think I read somewhere that if you put the Manhattan Project, Apollo Project, the Hoover Dam and the B-29 costs in 2020 dollars, this would dwarf that.  I mentioned those because they are often used as example of big engineering projects.  I suspect that if you put the costs of the New Deal in 2020 dollars, this would probably dwarf that as well (and as suspected it does).

So how did we get here?  Back in December, there was news of an epidemic in the Wuhan province of China.  It was caused by a coronavirus now called COVID-19.  A coronavirus is a type of virus that has little spikes on it and that makes it look kind of a crown, hence the name.   The cold is a type of coronavirus.  At any rate, this particular virus is highly contagious and fairly deadly compared to other types of viruses.  Another thing that makes this virus dangerous is that it is transmissable even if people are not exhibiting symptoms.   The virus attacks the respiratory system.
When it was determined that this thing had a chance to be deadly, travel from China was banned but that did not apply to American citizens.  Judging by what I said above, that was probably too late.  It didn't help that the Chinese weren't forthcoming with information about this but it also didn't help that one of the groups that was supposed to deal with this proactively was shut down.  The first case appeared in the United States towards the end of February.  By the beginning of March, it looked like the virus was spreading to other parts of the United States.  As of the writing of this post, there are 80,000 cases in the United States and looking at information from other countries, that number is going to go up.
Around the middle of March, many of the infected areas started to implement stay at home orders and because of that, the US economy tanked.  Which led to this stimulus bill.
As you guess, this has hit the cruise ship industry pretty hard.  It sounds like it is the President's opinion that they should be helped.   In normal circumstances, I would say yeah that's probably a good idea but there is a snag.  Most of the cruise ships are not flagged in the United States.  One reason for this is so that they can pay lower taxes.  Another reason for this is so that they can hire non-American workers.  I think another reason is so that they don't have to make them in the United States.
So Cruise Ship companies don't pay US taxes.  They don't use US workers (for the most part).  They don't use US ships.  So why should the get US taxpayer money.  Save that money for American companies that are in trouble.

The Canadian and United States Flags in Canada

There are two parks across the river from each other.  One is in Canada and the other is in the United States.  Together, both are symbols of a unique border.

 The United States flag was flying proudly in the setting sun.  I loved the light as it was hitting it.

 Right next to the United States flag was the Canadian flag.  It also looked pretty cool in the light.

Together, they represent a friendship that has lasted close to 200 years.

The Armed Forces Memorial at Algonac

It was pretty windy on Sunday and as I was heading back to the car, I caught this.

 I liked the fact that the flag was almost straight out.

 As I was taking a picture of the flag, I noticed the statues underneath it.  I don't remember if I've ever taken pictures of these statues but anyway here they are.  I think it may have started as a Civil War memorial but over time it has become an Armed Forces memorial.

 Looking up at the Civil War statue.  I liked the way the flag looked behind it.

There is a Vietnam War memorial at the base of the statue.

Continuing on to South Haven

I ended up taking the Blue Star Highway north from St Joseph.  Again, I was taking the back roads.  If you aren't particularly pressed for time, it's a nice relaxing way to go.

 My next stop was the South Haven Lighthouse.  Again, it was still a pretty nice day for it.

 I liked the look of this flag.

 Taking the long view of the pier.

 A sail boat heads out to Lake Michigan.

 The water on the pier wasn't quite as bad as St. Joseph, so I didn't get the nice reflection shots like I got there.

 Getting a little closer.

 A view I haven't taken in a while.

 Walking back to the other side.

 Walking back.

 I think I've posted pictures of this church before, but I never went into its details.  St. Basil Catholic Church was founded in 1857 by Father DeMize.  During this time, church services were held in various homes in the area.  In 1884, a small chapel was built.  Construction on the current church was completed in 1923.  It was renovated in 2016.

 Back to taking pictures of the lighthouse.

 A boat coming in.

the view from the beach.

Happy Flag Day and Happy Birthday to the US Army

Today we celebrate two holidays of sorts.

 In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson established June 14th as Flag Day.  That was later confirmed in 1949 by the US Congress.  It is not an officially recognized Federal Holiday though.
The flag depicted above is the flag flying over the USS Niagara and it is the configuration of the US Flag at the time of the War of 1812.

On June 14th, 1775, the Continental Congress establishes the Continental Army.  This day is officially recognized as the birthday of the United States Army.  After the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, the US Congress passes the act that creates the United States Army on June 4, 1784.  Because the US Army considers its roots as the Continental Army, it considers the earlier date their official birthday.

Happy Fourth of July

The staff (me) here at Michigan Exposures would like to wish all of its readers a Happy Fourth of July.

I figured that a US Flag shot would be nice for everyone.

A Pair From the Locks

Just a couple while I was waiting for the boats.

 I love this flag.

A shot of the Administration Building.